stylus care

how often does a stylus need cleaning? and what cleaning products are recommended for a dynavector 20x? cheers.

 

Just had my stylus replaced by Expert Stylus Company (awesome job by the way) and they advise that the best method is "using a sable hair artist brush which will hold a minimal amount of fluid and simply wipe the stylus after every five record sides". Care must be taken NOT to get fluid on the cantilever.

 

Hi Blakeaudio,

Try a Onzow Zerodust. It is a polymer that can be used over and over again. Just drip the stylus tip onto the polymer and the muck will be removed. It can be had for £30 from Audiocandy.

There are many fluid cleaners that can be of good use. A soft brush and alcohol can be used with certain cartridges as well. Also a vibrating cleaner can be used.

You can check with the cartridge maker to see if the alcohol solution will disolve the glue holding the stylus tip to the cantilever.

Also look into keeping your records clean as this will cut down on amount of dirt on the stylus tip.

SCIDB

 

Hi Blakeaudio,

I have just noticed that your cartridge is a Dynavector. They say use a the brush supplied. Also you can use some alcohol on the brush.

They do recommend that you keep your records clean.

http://www.dynavector.co.jp/english/pdf/20x_emanual.pdf

SCIDB

 

I must say that in my experience this is the absolute priority in terms of maintaining stylus quality and ensuring a long working life for it.

 

so what do you make of the Knosti Disco Antistat?

i don't have the brush that came with the dynavcetor as it all came second hand....

hence i'm trying to find the best alternative. so we're thinking sable hair artist brush and isopropyl alchol?

 

sorry just read the dynavector manual... dehydrated ethanol...

 

Where do you get this?
Wouldn't the Customs and Excise be interested if you could buy pure ethanol over the counter?
When I did my chemistry degree we were only allowed alcohol contaminated with benzene unless we signed for it specially!

And does isopropanol work as a stylus cleaner? I'm sure those sensible Germans at Clearaudio wouldn't recommend organic solvents wot with the tts being acrylic!

 

It doesn't suck. It does the job, just not very well. Get something that sucks.

Regards,

Stuart.

 

yeah but the things that suck cost way more, and i don't (yet...) have enough records to justify spending more... how bad could it be? it has to be better than nothing.

so what kind of cleaner would you recommend? both stylus and record.

 

I'm reasonably happy with the Antistat, for £40 you won't get better!
It is a bit fiddly, and messy but I find it's an excuse to spend an afternoon listening to vinyl I haven't heard for years!
And you can use dilute iso-propanol as cleaner which saves about £20 a time over the Knosti refill..

 

so is it ok to use isopropanol for cleaing the stylus? i have to say it has been harder than i hoped to get hold of any dehydrated ethanol....

 

I don't know about cleaning a stylus with it - depends on how the cantilever's attached.. I just use a brush, and when I think it sounds really duff I'll speak to those German boffins at Clearaudio to see what they recommend.. Though with an acrylic deck I don't think it's a good idea putting organic solvents too near or there'll be some nasty marks! Mebbe I should check my old chemistry books to see how good a solvent isopropanol is..

 

well besides the plater, i don't at least have that problem...

 

I had a Disco Antistat and it is better than nothing but my recommendations would be KAB-EV1 (about £100 to £110 inc p+p if you don't get clobbered with customs duty and VAT).

As for the stylus I'm another user of the Onzow Zerodust which does a very good job - and you can see all the muck that comes off the stylus.

 

After you have cleaned your stylus, memorise what it looks like when it's clean.

You'll know when it needs cleaning again just by looking at it.

 

the "Onzow Zerodust" looks interesting and certainly easier (less nerve wracking...) than attacking the stylus with a brush, but i've already spent my hifi related funds for the month (several in fact.... ) and i already have some isopropyl alchol.... so if i get myself a sable hair artist brush, is this stuff safe to use on the stylus?

 

If it's glued on, probably not, if press-fit, OK.

 

anybody know the specifics of the dynavector?

 

I use a DV10X5, in the booklet that it came with Dynavector recomend using IPA and a soft brush.